An enduring love for Kuching kolo mee

NO one knows for sure who were the original creators and purveyors of the now ubiquitous and beloved ‘kolo mee’ of Kuching.

The dish is widely believed to have evolved from the Hakkas who had a dish called ‘Taipoo’ noodles, brought over by a Hakka immigrant from Guangdong who had landed in Kuching in the 1920s.

Kiew Shao Nyap operated a traditional Chinese medicine shop at 44, China Street before he made the switch to selling food.

He introduced the humble ‘yan mee’ – a kind of salted noodles from his hometown.

Gradually, he modified it to suit local palates to later become the much-loved kolo mee of today.

The name itself became generic from around the 1960s and it could be derived from either one, or both of these sources: the Cantonese ‘gon lo’, which translates to ‘dry mixed’ or ‘dry tossed’ as opposed to a soupy or a wet version with gravy; the other theory was the ‘kolok kolok’ sound made by the bamboo sticks striking the dough during the early days when the noodles were handmade at the backyard kitchens of the old noodle shops.

Over the decades, the kolo mee has evolved into many different versions, yet it basically retains the same taste.

Basically, there are four kolo mee variants:

• the original classic – plain or white, simply as it is, tossed in lard oil and other oils fused with deep-fried shallots and garlic, garnished with chopped spring onions and topped with ‘char sio’ (barbequed pork) and fried minced pork;
• red version – same as the classic, but with the addition of the char sio marinade, which tinges the noodles red, and it tastes rather sweetish;
• black version – the addition of thick dark soya sauce makes it somewhat saltier, and;
• halal version, called ‘mi kolok’ – it is without the lard, and the pork is replaced by either chicken, beef or seafood.

As for the noodles themselves, there are also as many versions: the old-fashioned original and traditional straight ‘mee’; the curly ones that are slightly thinner; the flat type ‘mee pok’; and a very different fresh oily noodle, the ‘yew mee’ – much bigger and rounder, usually used for the fried and soup versions.

I guess everyone has his own favourite kolo mee stall; I dare to challenge anyone reading this to point me out to any coffeeshop anywhere that does not offer at least one hawker stall selling kolo mee.

I can even remember where and when I had my first-ever taste of a bowl of kolo mee, and this was long before the proliferation of the coffeeshop culture in our society today.

It was in 1957, and I was 7 in my second year at St Thomas’ Primary School at Macdougall Road in Kuching.

We had a school tuckshop operated by Ley Kit Soon and his family, and we would frequent it at every recess and break-time.

These were the days when we were given between 10 cents and 30 cents for our daily pocket money.

As a reference, any common ‘kuih-kuih’ such as ‘chai-tow kuih’ (turnip cake), or nine-layer rainbow cake would cost five cents apiece, or 10 cents for three.

Cordial drinks were at five cents a glass, and there were no Cokes or other fizzy drinks like F&N like we have today; only Green Spot and the local soda pop.

I had my very first bowl of kolo mee for 30 cents; extra char sio would cost 50 cents.

It was, at the time, the most delicious noodle ever!

All our lives, classmates of mine have tried everywhere to find that old ‘Ratatouille’ moment (you have to watch the 2007 Pixar movie of the same name to appreciate this).

In the mid-1960s, a member the Tsai family started operating a kolo mee stall at the Chinese theatre courtyard opposite the Hong San Si Temple at the end of Ewe Hai Street.

His handmade spun noodles became his signature dish, which in the decades to come would be sold through family members in over five different locations throughout Kuching.

The classic Ta Wan Kung kolo mee consisted of handmade egg noodles, cooked al dente and stirred in with a generous amount of lard, deep-fried shallots oil infused with garlic, with just the right splash of vinegar, and then combined altogether tossed and stirred.

It is finished with a garnish of thin slices of char sio and a generous sprinkling of savoury fried minced pork, and finally, a dash of cut spring onions.

Presto! At RM5.50, it is a dish fit for any hungry foodie at any time, day or night.

It is what I usually yearn for if I’m hankering for any quickie hawker food, and it doesn’t even matter if you have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

There are many places where you can find really good kolo mee in Kuching.

It’s usually a breakfast fare, but in recent times, you can get them now at many food courts and throughout the day – and night.